Supreme maneuver to empty Bolsonaro’s trap on the roads

Ministers of the Federal Supreme Court believe that the movement of truck drivers blocking roads in various parts of the country is an obvious trap set by the more radical surroundings of President Jair Bolsonaro (PL), defeated on Sunday (30) by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT). ).

Hence the speed of the court in characterizing the illegality of the protest and hanging the responsibility for the confusion around the government’s neck, in the figure of the Federal Highway Police. Advancing the legal debate, assess ministers, the position sought by the Planalto is weakened.

The plan perceived by the Judiciary leadership has been telegraphed since last year, as exemplified in an article in this Sheet Raul Jungmann, who as Minister of Public Security in the Michel Temer government (MDB) dealt directly with the 2018 truck drivers strike.

According to the plot, Bolsonarism encourages civil disobedience after Lula’s election and forces some state authority to ask for the intervention of the Army. But, according to the Constitution, the one who has to give such authorization is Bolsonaro, and the impasse arises, culminating in a clash between Planalto and Supremo.

By invoking the previous discussion, in the form of the decision by Alexandre de Moraes, who already has a majority of support in the court, the Supreme Court empties the narrative control of the crisis by Bolsonaro, who has remained quiet since he lost the election by 1.8 percentage points in the Sunday. In fact, Moraes has already given permission to state police officers to make unblocks at points that the PRF does not act, including federal roads.

Reality plays in the court’s favor, too. Bolsonaro is at the most isolated moment of all his meteoric career towards the presidency, conquered in 2018. No ally of his contested the result of the election, on the contrary: from the president of the Chamber, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), to the pastor Silas Malafaia, several Bolsonaristas preached respect to the polls.

More importantly, the Army High Command sent the message to the generals of the Planalto reserve that the Force will be on the side of the Constitution if there is any kind of institutional conflict. Despite frequently disagreeing and criticizing court ministers, this was read as supporting Supreme Court decisions.

That left Bolsonaro’s family and the aforementioned palatial generals, all in monastic silence like the president. The vice president, General Hamilton Mourão, an elected senator, and the minister of the Civil House, Ciro Nogueira (PP), a centerpiece, have already jumped ship.

With the reflux pointed out in the protests at some points this Tuesday morning (1st), Moraes’ move seems to point to a resolution of the crisis. Lula’s tactical absence from the debate is another factor noted by observers: the PT is avoiding getting involved and embodying what is seen as the final kick of a defeated president.

The one who will have problems in the process seems to be the commander of the PRF, Silvinei Vasques, who has a threat of arrest in the order of Moraes. He had already generated great distrust by mobilizing unprecedented operations on roads used by voters in regions with a large PT vote, in the Northeast, after asking for a vote for the chief on social networks the day before.